Will my Social Security payment increase after reaching my FRA in December 2025?

Sorry to tell you but your rate is permanently reduced because you started at 62. That's the trade-off - you get benefits for longer but at a reduced rate for life. The only increases you'll see are the annual COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) that everyone gets. That's how it worked for my husband who also started early.

The previous commenter is correct that your early retirement reduction is permanent. When you took benefits at 62, that was approximately a 30% reduction from your full retirement age benefit amount. That percentage reduction remains for life. However, there ARE two positive changes that happen at FRA: 1. The earnings test no longer applies, so you can earn unlimited income without having benefits withheld 2. If you had any months where benefits were withheld due to the earnings test before FRA, you'll get a slight adjustment upward at FRA to account for those months (called an ARF - Adjustment to the Reduction Factor) But no, there's no automatic increase to restore you to the full benefit amount you would have received had you waited until FRA to claim.

my sister thought the same thing lol. she was SO mad when she found out her reduced rate was permanent. she keeps calling social security to argue about it but they just tell her thats how it works

I went through the same thing last year when I hit my FRA. I started at 63 and thought maybe I'd get a little bump at full retirement age, but nope! The only change was that I could finally work as much as I wanted without worrying about that darn earnings test. If you had any benefits withheld before FRA, you should see a letter from SSA a month or two after your FRA explaining any adjustment. Mine was only about $18 more per month, but hey, better than nothing! By the way, trying to call SSA about this was a nightmare. I spent 4 hours on hold and got disconnected twice before finally using a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a representative in about 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you need to call SSA for anything. Saved me a ton of frustration.

THEY NEVER TELL U THIS STUFF WHEN U SIGN UP!!!!! i got the same shock 2 years ago. the whole system is designed to confuse people!!! they should make this CLEAR when u apply that ur taking a PERMANENT reduction!!!!!

To clarify a few technical points: 1. Your benefit was reduced by approximately 0.555% for each month you claimed before your FRA (varies slightly depending on birth year) 2. At FRA, if you had benefits withheld due to the earnings test, SSA will recalculate your reduction factor. The months where benefits were fully withheld won't count toward your total reduction 3. This recalculation happens automatically - you'll receive a notice explaining any adjustment 4. If you continue working, your benefit could still increase slightly each year if your recent earnings are higher than one of your previous 35 highest earning years used in your benefit calculation 5. As mentioned, you'll also receive annual COLA increases This is one reason financial planners often advise waiting until at least FRA if possible, but everyone's situation is different.

I wished I'd waited until my FRA before claiming. The difference between 62 and FRA is significant over a lifetime. My financial advisor calculated I'd lose more than $75,000 in benefits over my expected lifetime by starting early. Something to consider for others reading this thread who haven't claimed yet!

does anyone know if the FRA is different for SSI? my cousin gets SSI not regular Social Security and she said theres no FRA for that

I'm in a very similar situation - started collecting at 62 in early 2024 and my FRA is also in December 2025. Reading through all these responses has been really educational! I had the same hope that maybe there would be some kind of increase at FRA, but now I understand that's not how it works. The one thing that gives me some comfort is knowing that if I keep working (even part-time), there's still potential for small increases if my current earnings replace some of my lower earning years from the past. Plus the annual COLA adjustments help with inflation. For anyone else reading this who hasn't filed yet - definitely consider waiting if you can afford to. The permanent reduction is no joke. But for those of us who already filed early, at least we know what to expect and can plan accordingly. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and knowledge here. This community is so helpful!